Customer engagement, the power of confident communications

Matt Usher, Aviva Protection Change Delivery Manager, discusses why having a confident post sale communication strategy can benefit both you and your customers.

As an adviser, both your communication style and frequency will influence a customer's confidence in you and their trust in the cover you’ve arranged.  This confidence also stretches to your customers willingness to recommend you to family or friends. Having a confident post sale communication strategy can benefit both you and your customers.
 

Make use of annual statements

Annual statements are a chance for you to check in with your customers on any changes over the past year that may affect policies or require a change to cover.  Annual statements are a great opportunity to re-engage with customers.  Aviva’s Protection tracking service provides an alert to advisers as this time approaches. From a regulatory perspective, consumer duty adds the requirement on adviser firms to monitor the customer value over the lifetime of the policy.

Following an existing annual review process that considers if the customers’ needs are still in line with the protection provided is a good way to proof point the consumer duty requirement. Re-assuring customers their financial situation is being managed correctly during the cost-of-living challenge can also help minimise the risk your customer will just stop payments or cancel the protection policy without notice or a discussion with you first.
 

Remind customers about value-added benefits

Another easy way to engage your customers post sale is by reminding them about any value-added benefits available that are connected to their policy. These additional policy benefits which are sometimes overlooked at the initiation of a policy are a great way to demonstrate value to customers not just at point of claim but all year round. Use the opportunity to remind your customer about what is available on their policy plus any changes or upgrades which can range from gym discounts to health checks or even virtual doctor appointments. Value-added benefits are non-contractual. Aviva can change or withdraw them at any time, and terms and residency restrictions may apply. Customers should not take out a policy for the value-added benefits alone.
 

Make time for a catch-up

A quick annual catch-up where you can find out how your customer is doing and if they have any changes to their lifestyle or any questions about their policy can help develop strong adviser customer relationships. Older generations may prefer face to face whereas millennials and gen z might prefer online zoom or teams' calls. Making the call informal and tweaking your conversation style so it doesn’t just feel like a hundred direct questions can also help dialogue. Phrases like “tell me more about” can put your customers at ease during a catch-up.
 

The personal touch

Another simple way to keep in touch is to consider sending handwritten birthday or Christmas cards, or if your customer has recently moved – a new home card. Small gestures, all of which add value to your relationship with your customer. Alternatively, if your business has a newsletter or supports local charities, share that via email with your customers. Simple ways to keep in contact don’t have to take long.

Whichever way you choose to communicate with your customers, it’s important to keep a consistent frequency (regular touchpoints) and friendly professional tone.  Ultimately, confident customer communications are key for customer satisfaction, retention, and referrals.
 

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